MUSCATINE, IOWA (April 15, 2019) — Living Proof Exhibit grew out of a friendship between two women who used art as therapy in coping with a diagnosis of breast cancer. In 2010, the two women curated their first exhibit of work by cancer survivors. The organization’s annual juried show has been exhibited at the Figge Art Museum, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, the Dubuque Museum of Art, and the Peoria Public Library. The Muscatine Art Center will host this year’s exhibition from September 5 through November 3.
The collaboration between Living Proof Exhibit and the Muscatine Art Center began in 2017 with a small display of art and two free art-classes for anyone impacted by cancer. These “Creative Sessions” have now been offered eight times at the Muscatine Art Center with another two sessions scheduled for fall of this year.
Melanie Alexander, Director of the Muscatine Art Center, explains, “Both organizations want to send the message that art can be part of the healing process. As creating art in any form — visual arts, music, literature — is a process of sharing emotions, people managing a wide range of difficulties, including cancer, can benefit from a creative outlet. Making art can be one way to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Likewise, the juried exhibition is a safe place where cancer survivors can share their work and give hope to those newly-diagnosed.”
Pamela Crouch, Executive Director of Living Proof Exhibit, adds, “Our partnership with the Muscatine Art Center was prompted by having Muscatine residents drive to the Quad Cities to participate in the Creative Sessions. We are growing our outreach in Muscatine to meet the needs of the community. Bringing the annual exhibition to Muscatine will allow the community to celebrate the creative spirit of the cancer-survivor and embrace the visualization of hope that the arts provide.”
The Call for Entries is now available through the Living Proof Exhibit website at www.livingproofexhibit.org. All cancer survivors within a 200-mile radius of the Quad Cities are eligible to apply. Entries are accepted through June 7, 2019. A panel of jurors will review the entries. Applicants are asked to provide a brief statement about their cancer journey and how this reveals itself in their artwork. An entry fee of $25 is requested, but scholarships are available to cover this cost.
When the exhibition opens later this year, visitors will find hope, determination, faith, and creativity.
A past exhibitor, LaNae, writes, “Art is a way of expressing joy or sadness. In the end, there is a beautiful product. Something that not only I can enjoy, but others can, too. Even though I can't do the things I used to be able to do, my passion for life has only gotten stronger. Even the smallest of things can have a larger meaning behind them.”
Numerous organizations, including the Roy J Carver Charitable Trust and the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, have provided financial support to bring the exhibition to Muscatine and to provide Creative Sessions in the Muscatine community. There is great need for this program as nearly 100 Muscatine residents receive a cancer-diagnosis each year. Add the family and friends who are directly or indirectly impacted by the diagnosis and more than 1,000 people in Muscatine are newly touched by cancer each year.
For information about art classes or programming opportunities, please visit www.livingproofexhibit.org or email livingproofexhibit@gmail.com.
The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10AM-5PM, Thursday evenings until 7PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 1-5PM. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated. For more information about programs and events, visit www.muscatineartcenter.org and download a class brochure.
